CEO quits community channel TVS

Sydney community TVS Chief Executive Laurie Patton will exit at the end of the month.

Patton joined TVS in 2004 after it was awarded Australia’s first permanent Community Television Licence. Over the past six years he has supervised the construction of a fully automated broadcast centre, culminating in a successful campaign for federal government assistance, for the sector as a whole, to transition to digital television.

TVS launched its digital service on 1st March 2010.

Patton has been Secretary of the Australian Community Television Alliance.

TVS Chairman, Geoffrey Roberson acknowledged the skill and the experience that Mr Patton has demonstrated as the station’s inaugural CEO. “Without someone of Laurie’s calibre in charge TVS would probably not exist. His passion and his determination have been key ingredients in the creation of the channel,” he said.

Host and producer of Joy’s World, Joy Hruby said, “Without TVS programs like mine could not be made. I sincerely thank Laurie for his role in making it all possible”.

Patton said: “TVS represents a new age for community television. The advent of digital has created the opportunity for community based producers to do things that could not have been envisaged a decade ago. Community TV is the real ‘user generated content’ platform. What’s more, there is nothing like it anywhere else in the world”.

He will remain Executive Director of the Television Sydney Foundation.